19th and 20th Century Sculpture
19th and 20th Century Sculpture
Cesare Lapini
Psyche
Lot Closed
December 9, 01:30 PM GMT
Estimate
15,000 - 20,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
Cesare Lapini
Italian
1848-after 1893
Psyche
signed and dated: C: Lapini Firenze 1885, and entitled: PSICHE
white marble
103cm., 40 1/2 in.
Cesare Lapini specialised in allegorical and genre subjects and models all'antica, which he sold with great success from his Florentine workshop to an elite global clientele.
Distinguished by its refinement of carving and decorative titular inscription, this enchanting marble takes as its subject a figure from classical myth: Psyche, who is represented with her characteristic butterfly wings. The lover of Cupid, Psyche suffered numerous trials at the hands of the vengeful goddess Venus before being finally united with the God of Love. She is here shown about to open the jar given to her by Venus to collect a scrap of beauty from the goddess Proserpina. Despite Venus' orders not to open the jar, Psyche's curiosity overwhelmed her and, as a result, she fell into deep slumber. Antonio Canova famously depicted the aftermath of this event, in which Cupid revives her with a kiss.
Distinguished by its refinement of carving and decorative titular inscription, this enchanting marble takes as its subject a figure from classical myth: Psyche, who is represented with her characteristic butterfly wings. The lover of Cupid, Psyche suffered numerous trials at the hands of the vengeful goddess Venus before being finally united with the God of Love. She is here shown about to open the jar given to her by Venus to collect a scrap of beauty from the goddess Proserpina. Despite Venus' orders not to open the jar, Psyche's curiosity overwhelmed her and, as a result, she fell into deep slumber. Antonio Canova famously depicted the aftermath of this event, in which Cupid revives her with a kiss.